Prerequisite
by Densetsuno Youko
Summary: They were both assigned the same mission, but somehow, they ended up on opposite sides of the war. Now, how can Kagome possibly protect her new friend without directly defying her captain's orders? Kagome & Itachi NarutoxInuyashaxHarryPotter
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Inuyasha, or Naruto.

Pairing: Kagome/Itachi (What will it take to persuade more people to write this pairing? Or am I doomed to write this pairing – notwithstanding the one-shots – alone?) :)

**England** **Train Crisis**

_12/9/06 – 12/17/06_

"Sugoi," Kagome whispered softly as she gazed wide-eyed out the window. "It's hard to believe that a world like this exists outside of the Shinobi Islands! Frankly, I'm surprised that it managed to stay hidden for so long without raising any suspicions." Turning slightly so she was facing her silent companion, she quietly snorted, "Of course, nothing surprises you, ne?"

Her companion shot her a sidelong glance and softly cautioned, "That's enough, Kagome. It's unbecoming of you to speak so carelessly."

Frowning slightly, Kagome turned her back to her companion and returned her gaze out the window. Making sure her face was hidden from him, she silently mouthed, "Kagome, don't do this. Kagome, don't do that. Kagome, your conduct is improper. Kagome…"

"I hope that you're aware that I can read your lips from your reflection."

Kagome stopped. "Reflection?" she echoed, perplexed. Looking around, she scrunched her forehead in confusion. "What are you talking about? I don't see any mirrors…" she quickly trailed off when she caught her reflection in the window. "Oh." she murmured as her face flushed a dark red.

Needless to say, the rest of the train ride passed in silence. Kagome – too embarrassed to face her companion again – amused herself with counting the number of trees that they passed. She was on number 589 when the train suddenly lurched to a stop.

Startled, she whipped her head towards her companion with the intention to ask him a question…only to find that he was already gone. Gritting her teeth tightly together, she angrily turned her attention back out the window. _Jerk! _Would it kill him to tell her what's going on every once in a while?

Fuming quietly to herself, Kagome waited as patiently as she could for her companion to come back. However, when he didn't return after several minutes, she began to grow restless. _What's taking him so long?_ Eyeing the door indecisively, she quietly wondered, "_Should I go check on him or stay here? If I go, he'll think I care for him (and Kami forbid that). But if I stay here…_"

_CRASH_

Pushing aside her uncertainty, she quickly veiled her face and rushed out of the compartment. She had taken less than five steps when she was suddenly stopped mid-step by a shrill scream. Shaking herself out of her stupor, Kagome quickly gathered her wits and hurried down the hall.

It wasn't long before her senses were suddenly assaulted by the metallic stench of blood. It hung heavily in the air, thick and foreboding. The repugnant stench upset her stomach – making her slightly queasy and light-headed – but she courageously pushed aside her discomfort and surged forward.

Taking in the carnage around her, Kagome instantly recognized it as her companion's handiwork. _No one else can slit a person's throat with such precision and alacrity. Not to mention it's surprisingly clean for a massacre… _

'P-Please, have mercy!'

_They're up ahead._

"Why did you attack this train?"

'D-Don't kill me!'

"Useless."

_Swish_

Kagome arrived just in time to see a masked man keel over – dead at her companion's feet. Stepping over the body, she asked softly, "What happened? Could you understand what he was saying?"

Shooting her a cold glance from under the safety of his mask, her companion coolly answered, "They're speaking in a foreign tongue. I think you can see for yourself what happened."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Kagome turned her attention to the group of civilians huddled behind her companion. "What are we going to do about them?" she asked quietly, tilting her head towards the odd group of people. The civilians, probably sensing Kagome's gaze on them, quickly shrunk back in fear – some going as far as to scream bloody murder.

"Leave them."

Kagome looked abhorred. "We can't just leave them! What if those masked men attack again? We should at least get them off the train!"

"What happens to them is none of our business."

"Still, it would be inhumane to…"

"No one ever said being a shinobi was humane."

Kagome growled as she fisted her hand. "Well, I'm not…"

For the second time that day, she was interrupted. But this time, it was a young man who spoke: 'A-Are you D-Death Eaters?'

Kagome scrunched her forehead in confusion. _What are they talking about? I can't understand a word their saying! _However, despite that, she could easily sense that they were scared of them. _Then again, who wouldn't be scared after seeing such a large massacre? _Hoping to abate some of their fears, Kagome slowly lowered herself so she was eye level with them. Offering them a kind smile (which she belatedly realized they couldn't see), she gently placed her hand on the young man's arm in reassurance.

He immediately jumped under her touch, but slowly relaxed when he realized Kagome wasn't about to slit his throat like her companion had done with the Death Eaters. Shifting uncomfortably, he quietly asked, 'Who are you?' The girl didn't answer. At least, not in the language that he understood.

Patting his arm gently, Kagome softly stated, "Here, let me heal your arm. You have a pretty nasty wound there."

The man couldn't understand her words, but he could understand her gesture towards his arm. Confused, he stretched his wounded arm towards her – wincing slightly when the large gash reopened.

Then, the girl surprised him by doing the unexpected.

She tenderly placed her glowing hand on his wound…and the gash was instantly healed! It didn't even leave a scar! Almost immediately, the people huddled around him began to whisper, praising and thanking God for sending his two angels to protect them.

'Who are you?' several of them asked in awe and wonder. 'Are you here to defeat You-Know-Who?'

The two didn't answer. They simply shared a knowing glance. Then, by mutual agreement, the two quickly stood and disappeared in a puff of smoke. A woman shrieked, thinking the Death Eaters were back again. However, nothing happened. The two were just simply gone…as if they had never been there in the first place.

Not a second later, the Aurors arrived.

* * *

Lifting the veil from her face, Kagome watched disinterestedly as a strange group of men holding pointy sticks slowly escorted the civilians safely out of the train. After healing the man's arm, she had immediately sensed the new (albeit odd) group's arrival. At first, she had thought the masked men were back again, but on second check, she realized that these people were different – they had a kinder aura.

She wasn't sure though, so she checked with her companion, who confirmed her suspicions with a small nod of his head. Then, by mutual agreement, the two had decided to quickly leave the scene before the new group arrived.

However, she could have sworn she saw someone take their picture before they could successfully escape. _I just hope that it doesn't end up jeopardizing our mission in some way. _Her companion must have seen the camera's flash too, because a moment later, he voiced her fears.

"This incident is probably going to be posted all over the news tomorrow. We're going to have to change out of our uniforms into civilian clothes if we want to continue our mission." he stated coldly, silently accusing her for the mishap. If she had just listened to him and left when he told her too, then they wouldn't be in the predicament they were in now. "The mission will continue, but remember to keep your profile low this time. We cannot afford another slip up like this one."

Grimacing slightly, Kagome softly whispered, "H-Hai."

"We're going to go our separate ways from here." he suddenly stated, startling Kagome out of her guilty musings.

"W-What?!?" shouted Kagome, eyes widening in disbelief. "You're just going to…to leave me?" The real word she wanted to use was 'abandon,' but then that meant she would have to admit that she actually relied on _him _(which was a big no-no). "It's not like I messed up on purpose!"

Her companion shot her a bemused glance from behind his mask. "I can hardly abandon you even if I tried." he stated dryly as he gracefully reached behind his head to untie the strings that bound his mask to his face. "I only suggested what was necessary for the completion of this mission. According to our spies' reports, this place is supposedly divided between the _muggle _society and the _wizard_ community by a barrier – much like the one that separates the Shinobi Islands from the rest of the world.

"To gain a better understanding of both societies quickly and efficiently, I propose we split up and meet back here in precisely three months." he finished, finally slipping the mask off his face to reveal a pale, but handsome (borderline ethereal) face. His face was perfectly sculpted, much like the rest of his body, which was lean, but strongly built. He looked exactly like the ideal angel…albeit a dangerous one with the devil's eyes.

Kagome huffed quietly to herself as she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts, which were beginning to travel down a direction that she would rather not tread on. Gathering her bearings, she asked softly, "So, am I going to check out the muggle society or the wizard community?"

"I'll handle the wizards."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes for the second time that hour, Kagome kindly accepted his short answer for what it meant. It meant that he had mostly likely used up all his conversation skills for the rest of the week, and was probably unlikely to answer another question unless it was dire.

"Then, I guess I have the muggles." Kagome shrugged carelessly. She didn't really care either way. The words 'muggle' and 'wizard' meant nothing to her. In her mind, if a person wasn't a shinobi, then he/she was automatically a civilian – regardless of his/her station in life.

Turning slightly, Kagome was about to head off when her companion suddenly spoke again. "Make sure you learn their language as soon as possible. I'm sure you're aware that they do not speak Japanese."

"Hai," Kagome answered, surprised he had spoken at all. _Although it's probably easier said than done…How in the world does he expect me to go off, and then suddenly come back three months later with full mastery over the language? Do I look like a genius with photographic memory to you? _

Somehow sensing her irritation, he stated in a clipped tone, "A true shinobi never questions or complains about his mission. They do exactly what they are told when they are ordered. Am I clear?"

This time, Kagome didn't bother to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Grumbling slightly under her breath, she reluctantly muttered, "Hai!"

Satisfied with her answer, he left.

Standing there for a moment after he was gone, Kagome was suddenly struck with the consequence of his action: She was _free_! For the next three months, she would be able to explore this new world alone! There wouldn't be an egotistical icicle constantly breathing down her neck, pointing out all her follies and mistakes! She could do _whatever_ she wanted, _when_ she wanted it.

An uncharacteristic smirk snaked its way onto her lips.

Three months away from him – Konoha Extraordinaire, Uchiha Head, ANBU Captain – was going to be heaven! Just the possibilities made her head swim with ecstasy! For the first time in two years, she was going to be _free_!

For three whole months, there would be no Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

TBC

Author's Note: I hope no one's confused, but if you are, don't hesitate to drop me a line. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Naruto, or Harry Potter.

Author's Note: For those who asked, yes, this story is a Harry Potter, Inuyasha, and Naruto crossover.

'Words in single quotations are spoken in Japanese'

"Words in double quotations are spoken in English"

_Thoughts are in italics._

**Ghosts and Ghouls **

_8/2/07 – 8/9/07_

Kagome's eyes squinted as she brought the small, yellow book closer to her face. "I," she hesitantly began as she flipped the page, "want…a drink." Satisfied, she quickly looked up and flashed the lady behind the counter a bright grin. Sadly, the lady did not share her sentiments.

"Yes, I know." the old woman sighed impatiently, placing both her hands on the counter. "But what _kind_ of drink do you want?"

Kagome harrumphed, slightly put off. Did she _have_ to talk so fast? Grumbling, she quickly opened her dictionary again to look up the foreign words. After a moment, she finally looked up and hesitantly answered, "Apple…juice?"

The lady quickly handed her the apple juice and briskly snapped, "That comes to a total of $1.75."

Kagome's left eye twitched as she reopened her dictionary _again_. She could sense the lady's ire begin to rise as she quickly looked up the meanings of "total" and "$1.75." After a while, in which the lady began to impatiently drum her fingers across the counter, Kagome finally gave up and threw a handful of ryous on the counter. 'Keep the change!' she angrily barked in Japanese as she stormed out of the shop.

_The nerve of that woman! _

The lady blinked as she examined the ryous with a critical eye. Just what in the world was itsupposed to be? Monopoly money? It looked like something that had been ripped from a child's board game! Irritated, she quickly left her place behind the counter and raced out of the shop. "Wait, get back here!" she hollered, looking wildly around for the girl that had tried to pay her with fake money.

However, to her chagrin, the girl seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

* * *

Itachi frowned at his reflection as if he was seeing it for the first time in seventeen years. He had – never in his entire life – felt this…_disgusted_. Was he really going to wear a _dress_? In public, nonetheless! He had never felt so _degraded _in his life!

"Um, excuse me sir, c-can I help you?"

Tearing his eyes from his reflection, Itachi slowly refocused his attention on the stuttering woman behind him. "I doubt it." he coldly answered; his eyes smothering with barely veiled distaste. Looking himself over in the mirror again, he icily added, "I'll take the robe I'm wearing."

Despite the fact that he opposed wearing any dresses _period_, he understood that sometimes, small sacrifices had to be made for the success of the mission. He only hoped that the rest of the mission wouldn't require him to wear skirts as well. If it did, he was aborting the mission on the spot.

Frowning slightly at the thought, he quickly paid for his _dress_ and left. If he had to stay in that store for a moment longer, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself from burning it to the ground.

Stepping into the busy streets of Diagon Alley, which he had stumbled upon by pure accident (when he had been tailing a suspicious-looking man in a dress), he quickly maneuvered his way through the crowds and stopped at the edge of the dark alley he had seen earlier. Then, making sure no one was watching, he quickly slipped into Knockturn Alley to investigate the source of the dark aura he had sensed.

* * *

Bill Weasley honestly considered himself a very patient man (after all, he dealt with goblins). However, if his someone asked him another question concerning the train incident, he was going to snap!

"Were they really angels?" Ginny asked with wide eyes.

"For the last time, I don't know!" Bill sighed, slumping into his seat.

"What were they like?" Ron asked from around a mouthful of food.

A haunted look immediately ghosted over Bill's face. "It was horrible. I really thought I was going to die. Everything had started normally; then, the train had suddenly lurched to a stop. Before I – or anyone else – even knew what was going on, Death Eaters had already surrounded us. At that moment, I had thought I was going to die for sure. But before the Death Eaters could even fire the first shot, a young man donning a tiger mask suddenly stepped onto the scene and intervened."

Hermione's eyes clouded with emotion as she asked, "What happened afterwards? It must have been horrible! Can you believe it? Death Eaters on a public train! Security is too lax –"

"Did you kick the Death Eaters' butt?" Sirius interrupted; his eyes gleaming with excitement. "How many did you get?"

"Sirius!" growled Mrs. Weasley, shooting him a warning look. "I think that's quite enough for today. We really shouldn't be talking about these things in front of the children! Now, if you children are done, go off to bed."

"But Mum," Ron shouted, looking at his mom as if she had went mad. "It's too early to go to bed right _now_. It's only five o'clock! No one in his right mind would sleep this early! Plus, I want to hear the rest of the story – the real story. The Dailey Prophet doesn't count anymore because it only prints bull –"

"Ron Billius Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked, cutting off his curse. "I do _not _want to hear that kind of language out of your mouth, do you understand? I raised you better than that! If I hear you say another word –"

"Molly, please," Remus quietly intervened, "Let Bill finish his story. I'm sure the children will be able to handle it. Plus, we need to hear the rest of the story too. We need to know if the two strangers that Bill met are on our side of the war or on the Dark Lord's side of the battle."

Mrs. Weasley sputtered in indignation. However, after a moment, realizing that everyone seemed to be against her decision, she finally conceded to allow the children to hear the rest of the story.

In response, the younger Weasley children immediately cheered.

"So, what happened after the young man intervened?" Mr. Weasley prompted, trying to quell the tension in the room.

Bill sighed, realizing that no was going to let him leave until he told them the rest of the story. Frowning, he slowly closed his eyes and answered, "The man asked us a few questions; however, it was spoken in Japanese – I think. None of us really knew what he was asking, but one of the Death Eaters seemed to be able to understand him."

Bill paused, cringing as if he was recalling a particularly horrible memory. Then, snapping out of his thoughts, he finally continued, "After the Death Eater answered, the man immediately slit his throat." Swallowing, he quietly added, "Before the Death Eater even had enough time to crumble to the floor – dead, the entire train was already bathed in blood."

A haunted look instantly flittered across his expression as he quietly continued, "In a matter of seconds, he had killed all eleven Death Eaters that had entered the train. And the scariest part of the entire ordeal, which was left out by the Dailey Prophet, was that he was about to kill us as well."

"W-What?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley, jumping to her feet.

"I'm all right, Mum." Bill quickly answered. "The man's female companion was able to arrive in time to stop him from killing any of us."

"Female companion?" asked Tonks, cutting off Mrs. Weasley's frightened cry. "What did she look like?"

"I don't know." Billy honestly answered. "Even though she didn't wear a mask, her face was still heavily veiled. I could only tell that her eyes were blue." Pausing for a moment, he thoughtfully added, "She wasn't anything like her companion. She was kind and gentle, and she healed my wound with a single touch."

"So, she really was an angel?" Ginny asked, excited.

"But wouldn't that make her companion an angel too?" Fred teased.

"Maybe they really _are_ theAngels of Life and Death." George grinned, quoting the Dailey Prophet's suspicions. "From what Billy Goat here told us, it would seem right, don't you think?"

Bill frowned at the ridiculous name the twins had assigned him. However, since he was familiar with his brothers' antics, he quickly brushed the incident aside. "I'm not too worried about girl," he quietly admitted, "but I'm afraid that the man might be just as dangerous as the Dark Lord."

"Hold that thought for a minute," Sirius interjected, frowning in thought. "You said the man killed all the Death Eaters in a matter of seconds. What spell did he use to do that? Was it a dark spell?"

Bill's expression darkened. "He didn't use any spells."

"Then…how?" Ron croaked, dropping his food.

"He slit their throats with his sword."

* * *

Stopping at the edge of Magnolia Crescent, Kagome absentmindedly finished her apple juice as she tried to decide her next destination. After a brief moment of indecision, she turned left and headed down Magnolia Road.

As she walked, she took the chance to examine her attire. A deep frown instantly marred her face as she glared down at her shoes, which matched _perfectly _with her shirt. She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat as she tugged distastefully at the hem of her (highly restricting) navy-blue skirt. _If shinobis were meant to wear these kinds of clothing, we'd all be extinct!_

Grumbling something incoherent under her breath, she was about to curse Itachi to hell and back for accepting this mission when the streets suddenly darkened, causing the street lights to flicker out of existence. Realizing that something dark and dangerous was quickly approaching, Kagome hurriedly turned off Magnolia Road and slipped into Wisteria Walk, where she had initially sensed the source of the dark energy.

Gritting her teeth against the sudden chill that had descended upon her, Kagome instinctively reached for the kunai that she had hidden under her jacket. To some people, she may have seen paranoid; however, a shinobi could never be too careful. Plus, she was almost positive that the source of the dark energy was not human.

In a way, it kind of reminded her of the energy that Itachi would subconsciously give off when he was in a particularly bad mood. _Except_, she dryly noted, _Itachi's energy didn't drain away all the happy memories in my life_. On the other hand, the dark aura that she was sensing now seemed to be sucking all of the happiness out of her life, leaving her with a dark, empty feeling in her soul.

_Actually_, she bitterly noted, _that's not too much different from what Itachi does to me. _Although there were probably nicer ways to express her feeling, Kagome stubbornly clung to the belief that Itachi's presence in her life was slowly, but surely, destroying any remnants of hope she had for happiness.

That man was just _too _unapproachable.

If she had a choice, she wouldn't marry him even if was the last creature on earth. _Yes, creature_, she firmly repeated in her mind. Even if she had to repopulate the earth by herself, which was undoubtedly impossible without divine intervention, she'd rather take her chances than marry _him_.

Even if she was his fiancée, it didn't mean _he_ was _her_ fiancé! In her mind, there engagement was nothing but a farce. It didn't count because they had been coerced into it by their respective clans. Neither of them had wanted it, so even if they were married, she would never sleep with –

Kagome promptly cut herself off as she flushed a crimson red. Just what in the world was she thinking about? How had she gone from analyzing the source of the dark energy to thinking about _him_? She wasn't turning into a female version of Miroku, was she? _No_, she firmly answered, _no way! __I am not going to think about _him _(or anyone else for that matter)_ _in Miroku-terms. That would just be _so _wrong on _so _many –_"

Kagome's head promptly snapped up when a frightened shriek suddenly pierced through her silent reverie. Mentally chiding herself for losing herself in her stray thoughts, Kagome quickly doubled her speed. In less than fifteen seconds, she reached the scene of the crime.

However, she immediately drew back in shock when she saw a _ghost _try to kiss a whale – or was that a human? Snapping out of her stupor, she mentally berated herself for losing focus…again. Drawing her kunai from within the folds of her jacket, she hurriedly raced to aid the whale, which she had now identified as a human boy.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Kagome instantly froze in mid-step when the ghosts suddenly recoiled, drawing away from the silvery wisps of light that was heading towards them. Following the path of the silvery wisps, Kagome's eyebrows immediately shot into her hairline in surprise when she spotted another boy warding off the ghosts with a…stick?

_This day just gets stranger and stranger…_

"Expecto Patronum!"

Kagome watched as the silvery wisp emitted from the tip of the small stick again, causing the ghosts to recoil. However, like last time, the ghosts simply recovered again after a few moments. Shaking her head, Kagome quickly entered the scene and pulled the thin, stick-wielding boy aside.

"What do you think you're doing?" the boy shouted. "Get out of here!"

Kagome blinked in confusion. As much as she wanted to know what the boy was screaming at her, she _really _didn't have the time or the luxury to take out her dictionary at the moment. She would have to sate her curiosity later. First, she had to deal with the two ghosts that were still lingering around the whale-like boy, circling him as if he was some sort of tasty morsel.

Disgusted, she quickly began to form the fire seals with her hands.

**_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu! _**_Fire Type: Grand Fireball Technique! _

The giant fireball that spewed from her mouth immediately raced towards the two unsuspecting ghosts; however, to her dismay, both ghouls managed to avoid the brunt of the damage. Harrumphing, Kagome quickly crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the ghosts' retreating backs. _Cowards! _

Seething slightly, Kagome harshly turned her head towards the stick-wielding boy beside her and demanded, 'Why were those ghosts attacking you?'

The boy didn't answer (although that could probably be attributed to the fact that he couldn't understand her). However, after a moment, he finally seemed to snap out of his stupor. "H-How did you do that? Are you a witch? Did you use a wand?"

Kagome's head throbbed. 'Why do I even bother?' she asked exasperatedly. 'I obviously can't understand you, and you obviously can't understand me either.' Sighing tiredly, she slowly jabbed her finger towards the other boy. 'Shouldn't you check up on him first? We can probably sort out our problem later.'

Even though the boy probably didn't understand a word she was saying, Kagome guessed that he most likely understood her gesture enough to know that she was referring to his whale-like companion. Watching from a sage distance, she watched bemusedly as the thinner boy tried (and failed) to heft his much larger friend off the ground. After a few moments, Kagome finally took pity on them and decided to lend them a hand.

As she carefully slipped her kunai back in her jacket, she silently noted that she would need to report this incident to her commanding officer as soon as possible. At the thought, she immediately grimaced. She _really _did not want to talk to her fiancé, namely Konoha's Most Arrogant One.

* * *

Itachi's eyes darkened as he crumbled the Dailey Prophet in his hands. If the moving pictures had surprised him, he didn't show it. However, it wasn't the fact that the pictures were moving that troubled him. It was the fact that it was _their_ picture. Someone, like he had suspected, had taken a shot of them before they had teleported off the train.

Even though it wasn't causing him any troubles yet, since they were both masked, he knew that the photo could prove to be potentially problematic in the future. Especially since the news claimed that he was the Angel of Death that God had sent to protect them from the (deceased) Dark Lord's remaining supporters – the Death Eaters.

Although the Death Eaters hadn't given him too much trouble, since they seemed to lack any sort of defense, he knew that if he wanted to complete his mission, he would have to keep a low profile from then on. That or kill all the witnesses.

Blinking slightly, he slowly looked towards the darkening night. Looking down again, he silently calculated the number of days (taking into account the time difference) that had passed since he had left his home.

Three days. He had left the shinobi islands three days ago.

He would have to report to the Hokage soon. Undoubtedly, the Sandaime would want to know all of the unusual discoveries that he had found. However, before he made his own report, he had to collect Kagome's report first.

Hopefully, she had placed at least minimum effort into her report this time. If not, he was going to make her rewrite it. It was simply unacceptable for a shinobi of her class to write like a three-year-old. Not only was her handwriting messy and unintelligible, she also had the tendency to report nonsensical matters that had _nothing _to do with the actual mission. It was habit that he was going to correct even if he had to do it forcibly because he was _never _going to read another ten-page, nonsensical report just to learn that she had nothing important to –

Itachi's eyes immediately narrowed when he sensed someone tailing him. Curling his fingers around the hidden shurikens in his robes, he coldly ordered, "Come out before I decide to end your pitiful life." Even though he couldn't see the man, he could sense his presence as well as if he had been standing right in front of him.

Chuckling, his stalker slowly revealed himself by throwing off his cloak. "I was right." he smirked. "I knew you were different the minute I saw you." Curling his fingers around the cloak, he added, "Still, I'm surprised you could see me even through I had the invisibility cloak."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. _The invisibility cloak…?_

The man smiled; his lips twisting in a sinister smirk. "From the way you move, I can tell that you're an assassin – an extremely good one." Clasping his hands behind his back, he quietly added, "If you're interested, I have a proposition for you."

Itachi's eyes darkened even further. "What kind of proposition?"

"You'll be handsomely rewarded, of course." the man arrogantly answered. "If you want, I can pay you 10,000 Galleons upfront right now. Then, once you successfully complete your mission, I'll pay you the other 30,000 Galleons."

Itachi's expression didn't change in the slightest. The money didn't interest him; however, the man's proposition piqued his interest. Just what kind of man was desperate enough to approach him? Even though the man couldn't possibly know who he was, the killing aura that he gave off (even though he suppressed most of it) should be more than enough to have warded him off.

"Who are you?" Itachi demanded, leaving little room for disagreements.

The man hesitated for a moment, probably debating whether he should give Itachi his real name or not. However, seeing Itachi's cold glare, he instantly made his decision and answered, "My name is Lucius – Lucius Malfoy."

Even now, as the man smiled, Itachi could tell that he was scared. The man knew that he was dangerous, but he had approached him anyway. Just what could possibly be so important that he would risk his life to approach him?

"What do you want me to do?" Itachi asked.

The man paused, unsure whether if he should hire such a dangerous man. After all, he wasn't even sure if this man – Itachi – would keep this meeting a secret. If not, then he could possibly lose everything – his name, his wealth, even his life!

But then…if Itachi succeeded…

Making up his mind, Lucius answered.

"I want you to kill Albus Dumbledore."

* * *

TBC

Author's Notes: Heh, what do you guys think? I finally wrote the second chapter, making it the first story I've ever revived:) I tried to explain as much as I could in this chapter, but if you're still confused, I'm sure it'll make sense later.


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